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May and June Activities

MAY 11, SATURDAY, please meet 8:00 a.m.

Southeastern Outings Kayak and Canoe Trip on the Elk River near Elkmont, Alabama

Details: The six-mile section we will paddle is easy with no obstructions.  This is a scenic stretch of river located in a very rural area.

Novice canoeists are welcome and may come on this trip, but each one must be partnered with an experienced canoeist in their boat. 

Please note that for this trip you may rent one person sit-in plastic kayaks and paddles for $20 per person or you may rent two-person canoes also for $20 per person from Flint Creek Canoe and Kayak Rental.  Please note that this outfitter currently has NO sit-upon kayaks to rent. 

If you rent a boat from this outfitter, the outfitter will bring your rented boat to the put in and meet you there.  He will also meet you at the take out, so you will never need to transport your rented boat at all.  Shuttle fee, paddles, and life jacket are included in boat rental fee for those who rent boats from the outfitter. 

If you wish to rent a kayak or canoe from the outfitter, please notify Dan Frederick, southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680 BEFORE May 11 to reserve your boat.

If you want to come on the May 11 SEO kayak and canoe trip AND you are renting a boat from the outfitter at the site of the trip, in this instance you are required to call or contact ONLY Dan Frederick and notify him that you are coming!  Dan will inform the outfitter how many rental kayaks and canoes he will need to provide to SEO people for this trip.

Also, the outfitter will charge a $20 per person fee for all privately-owned boats, be they canoes or kayaks, used on this outing. 

This is a new outfitter for Southeastern Outings.  Both of the two Elk River outfitters we used previously closed their businesses.  However, we will still boat on the same stretch of the Elk River as we have done previously. 

Note that the outfitter is giving us a $5 per person discount off his regular prices if we bring more than 5 people in our group.  We have always had many more than 5 people on our kayak and canoe outings, so we are quoting the rates we anticipate being charged on this outing.

Children able to swim and age 10 and over welcome.

After the kayak/canoe trip we will go for dinner at an excellent Italian restaurant in Athens, Alabama.  If you would like to have dinner with us at the restaurant after the kayak and canoe trip, please bring your things to clean up with and a change of clothes.  After the kayak and canoe outing is completed we plan to schedule a stop at the Alabama Welcome Center a few miles south of the Tennessee/Alabama State Line.  You will be able to change clothes and wash up there in relative comfort if you wish.

Please meet 8:00 a.m. at the Jacks parking lot near the Hayden/Corner Park and Ride.  We plan to depart from there at 8:15 a.m.

Reservations Required: You must call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or email souheasternoutings@gmail.com if you plan to come on this kayak and canoe trip.  You may leave a message on Dan’s voice mail if you wish. 

        If you are planning to meet the group initially at the put in instead of at the designated meeting place near Birmingham, please tell Dan Frederick in advance that you are planning to meet the group at the put in.

        Please do not make it necessary for Dan to contact you concerning information which you have already received in this announcement and the notes below.

Info. and trip leader: If you have further questions, please call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or email southeasternoutings@gmail.com.

 

MAY 16, THURSDAY, please meet 9:45 a.m.

Southeastern Outings Leisurely Weekday Cahaba Lily Walk

Where: Hargrove Shoals, Cahaba National Wildlife Refuge, along the Cahaba River in Bibb County

Details: Please come with us on a THURSDAY to see the largest display of blooming Cahaba lilies in the world, acres and acres of them spread out over the water in the river.  These lilies are a sight to behold!  In places, it often looks like it has snowed on the river in May.

        Over seven miles of the Cahaba River lie within the Refuge boundary. The rolling uplands surrounding the river are forested with mountain longleaf and loblolly pines. Mixed upland hardwood species line ravines and the river's edge.

        The largest known stand of the imperiled shoals lily (known locally as the Cahaba lily) also occurs within the Refuge.  During May and June, this beautiful plant blooms, and people come from across the region to view this magnificent display of nature. Twenty people participated in a previous Southeastern Outings-sponsored weekday Cahaba lily walk in 2021.  We were pleased with the turnout then.  For your information, in addition to this Thursday, May 16 event, Southeastern Outings has also scheduled an additional Cahaba Lily walk to this area on Saturday, May 18, 2024.

The hike is about five miles round trip.  The walking pace for this hike will be moderately easy.  We’ll stop often to catch our breath and note views, trees, birdsongs, the trail and woods and lilies around us.  Happy hiking!

Wear sturdy footwear you don’t mind getting wet and dirty.  Old sneakers work well.  You’ll want to put on your river shoes so you can walk out into the shallow parts of the river to stroll through and touch the lilies which grow only in the water.  You’ll also need to wear your river wading shoes to wade through Caffee Creek in order to be able to walk to where you can view the largest stand of lilies at Hargrove Shoals. 

Bare feet, flip-flops, slip-ons and thin-soled “beach shoes” are not acceptable!! You may wear your sturdy river shoes for the entire trip if you wish.  Please bring picnic lunch and your drink.  Two hiking poles are strongly recommended to provide additional stability when wading in the river.

Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the McDonald’s Galleria.  We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.

Info. and Trip Leader: Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or email southeasternoutings@gmail.com

 

MAY 18, SATURDAY, 9:45 a.m.

Southeastern Outings Cahaba Lily Walk, Hargrove Shoals along the Cahaba River in Bibb County

Details: Please come with us to see the largest display of blooming Cahaba lilies in the world, acres and acres of them spread out over the water in the river.  These lilies are a sight to behold!  In places, it often looks like it has snowed on the river in May.

        Over seven miles of the Cahaba River lie within the Refuge boundary. The rolling uplands surrounding the river are forested with mountain longleaf and loblolly pines. Mixed upland hardwood species line ravines and the river's edge.

        The largest known stand of the imperiled shoals lily (known locally as the Cahaba lily) also occurs within the Refuge. During May and June, this beautiful plant blooms, and people come from across the region to view this magnificent display of nature.

Well-behaved, properly-supervised children age 7 and over welcome. 

The hike is about five miles round trip.

Rated easy.  Wear sturdy footwear you don’t mind getting wet and dirty.  Old sneakers work well.  You’ll want to put on your river shoes so you can walk out into the shallow parts of the river to stroll through and touch the lilies which grow only in the water.  Bare feet, flip-flops, slip-ons and thin-soled “beach shoes” are not acceptable!! You may wear your sturdy river shoes for the entire trip if you like.  Please bring picnic lunch and your drink.  Hiking poles are strongly recommended to provide additional stability when wading in the river.

Please meet at 8:45 a.m. at the McDonald’s Galleria.  We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m.

Info. and hike leader: Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or southeasternoutings@gmail.com

MAY 25, SATURDAY, Picnic at 7:00 p.m.  Concert begins at 7:30 p.m.
FREE Alabama Symphony Orchestra (ASO) Concert                   

Where: Railroad Park situated along 1st Avenue South, between 14th and 18th Streets South in downtown Birmingham                              

                       

Details: Thanks to the generous support of sponsors, the ASO is excited to play a free series of concerts in Birmingham's Railroad Park! Enjoy music under the stars with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.                                                       

Please join us for this special concert which promises to yield a great evening of fun.  Relax on the lawn with your blanket or lawn chair.  If you’d like to eat with us, please bring your picnic (no glass or alcohol allowed) to enjoy at 7:00 p.m.         Concert itself begins at 7:30 p.m.                                                  

To find the group, please look for the Southeastern Outings people near the walkway on the railroad side (far side of park away from 1st Avenue South) of the park.  You are welcome to bring as many friends and family members as you wish.   

Admission: FREE                                                                           

More Info: Please call the ASO office, 205/251-6929 or Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680.

  

JUNE 1, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.

Southeastern Outings Kayak and Canoe Outing, Big Wills Creek near Gadsden, Alabama. 

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Details: This will be Southeastern Outings’ sixteenth kayak and canoe trip on Big Wills Creek.  This is a scenic stretch of river located in a very rural area.  This stretch is fairly easy and without classified rapids.  Along the river we’ll see wildflowers and stop to investigate islands and beaches.  Forty-six SEO people participated in this very popular outing in 2015.

Novice canoeists are welcome and may come on this trip, but each novice canoeist must be partnered with an experienced canoeist in their canoe. 

Please note that for this trip you may rent canoes and one or two-person (tandem) sit-upon plastic kayaks and paddles from Big Wills Outfitters.

Here is the schedule of outfitter charges:

1.    solo kayaks each $30

2.    canoes and tandem kayaks $50 each

3.    shuttle fee per boat for owned rather than rented boats $10

Rental fees include life jackets and shuttle service.  Also, the outfitter will shuttle for a fee all private boats used on this outing.  If you wish to rent a boat from Big Wills Outfitters, please call the outfitter BEFORE Saturday, June 1 at 256/538-3226 to reserve your boat.  Tell the outfitter you are boating with Southeastern Outings.  Please note that the outfitter has only 5 canoes and 57 one-person sit-upon kayaks and 5 tandem (2-person) sit-upon kayaks for rent, so be sure you call to reserve early.  Once all their boats of one type or the other are reserved for June 1, there will be no more boats of that type available to rent! 

If you rent a boat from this outfitter, the outfitter will take you and your rented boat to the put in, and you will take out at the outfitter’s property so you will never need to transport your rented boat at all.  Life jackets, paddles and shuttle fee are included in the rental boat fee for those who rent boats from the outfitter.  You may bring your own canoe or kayak on this trip, but you must pay the outfitter to shuttle your privately-owned boat.  For more information about the outfitter and photos of the creek, please visit their website www.facebook.com/bigwillsoutfitters

When we arrive at the outfitter’s, you will sign a waiver, pay your shuttle or boat rental fee, use the restroom, and then eat lunch in the picnic area at the outfitter’s.  After you finish lunch, the outfitter will transport ALL the boaters and their boats, both rented and owned, to the put in.  We will then paddle down the creek to the take out, stopping as often as we want to.

Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 10 and over welcome.

After the canoe and kayak trip we are hopefully planning to go to a restaurant in Gadsden for dinner.  Our going to dinner depends on what time we finish boating.  If you would like to have dinner with us at the restaurant after the kayak and canoe trip, please bring a change of clothes.  A changing room is available at the outfitter’s.

Reservations Required: You must contact Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or call 205/631-4680 if you plan to come on this kayak and canoe trip.  You may leave a message on Dan’s voice mail if you wish.

If you want to come on the June 1 kayak and canoe trip AND you are renting a boat from the outfitter at the site of the trip, you are required in this instance to call the BOTH the outfitter to reserve your boat AND ALSO contact Dan Frederick to notify him that you are coming!  Please do not just show up for this outing at the meeting place without making advance reservations!  Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s in Trussville.  We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.  For more essential information about this trip, please see Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips below.

Info. and trip leader: If you have questions or would like additional information about this outing, please call Dan Frederick 205/631-4680 or email southeasternoutings@gmail.com.

 

JUNE 8, SATURDAY, Meet 9:45 a.m.

Southeastern Outings River Float, Picnic, Swim on the Locust Fork River from Taylor’s Ford through Cornelius Falls in Blount County near Royal, AL

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Details: Easy river float on the Locust Fork River.  Float in the river from Taylor’s Ford through Cornelius Falls and below.  We’ll float downstream to the widest waterfall on the Locust Fork River.  Enjoy eating your picnic lunch sitting on the rocks overlooking the waterfall.  This is one of the prettiest lunch spots we have ever seen in Alabama!  As we float we’ll also view sheer cliffs that rise high above the river.  So enjoy a flowing river, high rock bluffs and a gorgeous waterfall—all along a nearly uninhabited stretch of this river.  Please bring a picnic lunch, drink, sunscreen and something to float on such as a fabric-covered, inflatable vinyl float.  See Float Note below for additional information.

        Please wear swimsuit and sturdy footwear you don’t mind getting wet and dirty.  Old sneakers work well.  Bare feet, flip-flops, slip-ons and thin-soled “beach shoes” are not acceptable!  You must be able to swim to participate in this outing!

          Have fun swimming in the pools in the river and just sitting in Cornelius Falls.  Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 8 and up able to swim welcome, but parents are responsible for all risks to their children.

Bring a friend or several if you wish.  Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the Cleveland Chevron.  We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.

Info. and trip leader: Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or call 205/631-4680

 

JUNE 15, SATURDAY, please meet 9:45 a.m.

Southeastern Outings River Beach Walk, Swim and Picnic at Barton’s Beach in Perry County, Alabama

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Details: Barton’s Beach, the largest sand and gravel beach on the entire Cahaba River, is a property owned by the Alabama Nature Conservancy.  It is indeed a beautiful sight to behold!  Enjoy a beach gathering on this scenic, fine-grained sand beach in Marion, Alabama.  The scenery is spectacular.  The floodplain broadens and creates areas of bottomland hardwood forests, oxbow lakes and extensive sand and gravel bars.

You can float on the river from the upper end of the beach to the lower end of the beach and then carry your float and walk on the beach back up to the upper end and repeat that real fun experience as many times as you like during the day.  You may bring whatever flotation device you wish on this outing.  Dan will bring a float air pump to the beach.  See float note below for information about acquiring flotation devices. 

Please bring with you your swimsuit, towel, picnic lunch and water, soft drink or fruit juice to drink.  Wading shoes with substantial soles are recommended.  A change of clothes (dry underwear also advised) to be left in the car is also recommended if you would like to wear dry clothes for the drive home and/or to go out to dinner with us.   

A restroom is available at Perry Lakes County Park where we’ll park our cars. 

The approximate 1/3-mile walk from the Perry Lakes Park parking lot to Barton’s Beach is easy since the terrain is level and the walk is all on trails.  Interpretive nature trails (fire lanes and primitive paths) make walking through the woods fairly easy and fun.  The two properties adjoin each other so we can walk readily back and forth between them. 

Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 7 and older able to swim are welcome, but parents are responsible for all risks to their children.  All participants must be able to swim to come on this outing!

         Depending on the time we leave the beach, we are likely to go for an optional dinner after the outing is concluded.

 Please meet 9:45 a.m. at the McDonald’s Galleria.  We plan to depart from there at 10:00 a.m.

Information and Trip Leader: Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680

 

JUNE 20, THURSDAY, please meet 8:45 a.m.

Southeastern Outings Canoe and Kayak Trip with dinner after

Where: Terrapin Creek near Piedmont, Alabama

Click for Pictures

Details:  Please plan to come on a relaxing kayak and canoe trip on Terrapin Creek in Calhoun County near Piedmont, Alabama.  The section we will paddle is relatively easy with one class I classified rapid (which you can portage around if you prefer).  This is a scenic stretch of creek located in a very rural area.  Twenty-four Southeastern Outings people participated in this popular outing on May 18, 2019.

Please note that for this trip you may rent one person sit-upon plastic kayaks for $25 each from Terrapin Outdoor Center.  Rental fees include shuttle service, paddles and life jackets.  Also, the outfitter will shuttle for a $10 fee per boat all private boats used on this outing.  If you wish to rent a boat from Terrapin Outdoor Center, please call the Center BEFORE June 20 at 256/447-6666 to reserve your boat.  Please be sure you tell the Center you are boating with Southeastern Outings.  Please note that the outfitter has only 100 one-person sit-on-top kayaks for rent, so be sure you call to reserve early.  Once all their kayaks are reserved for June 20, there will be no more kayaks available to rent!

This outfitter no longer has canoes to rent.

After the canoe and kayak trip we are planning to go to a pleasant restaurant in Piedmont for an optional dinner.  If you would like to wash up and/or have dinner with us at the restaurant after the kayak and canoe trip, please bring a change of clothes and a towel.  Outfitter has four changing rooms.  Two are changing rooms only with no toilets or washbowls, and two are restrooms with washbowls, toilets and running water, but no showers. 

Reservations Required: You must email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 if you plan to come on this outing.  Please advise your name, telephone number, skill level, whether you are bringing a canoe or kayak or you wish to rent a kayak or canoe.  You may leave a message on Dan’s voice mail if you wish.  If you want to come on the June 20 kayak and canoe trip AND you are renting a kayak from the outfitter at the site of the trip, you are required in this instance to call the BOTH the outfitter to reserve your boat AND ALSO contact Dan Frederick to notify him that you are coming!  Please do not just show up for this outing at the meeting place without making advance reservations!  And if you decide to meet us at some place other than the meeting place specified in this announcement, please notify Dan in advance and directly of this fact.

        Meet 8:45 a.m. at Applebee’s Restaurant Trussville.  We plan to depart from there at 9:00 a.m.  For more essential information about this trip, please see Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips below.

Info. and Trip Leader: If you have further questions, please call Dan Frederick, 205/631-4680 or email southeasternoutings@gmail.com.

 

JUNE 29, SATURDAY, Meet 9:15 a.m.

Southeastern Outings Easy River Float

Where: Locust Fork River from near River Road to the Mount Olive Road Bridge

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Details: Easy river float on the Locust Fork River.  Float in the river about 3.8 miles downstream to the new Mount Olive Road Bridge possibly stopping at river beaches along the way.  Bring something to float on such as an inflatable vinyl float or tube.  See float note below for information about acquiring flotation devices.

        Also please bring a picnic lunch with you from home or pick your lunch up BEFORE you arrive at the meeting place.  Please do not make lots of people wait while you take time to buy lunch or have your lunch prepared after you arrive at the meeting place at 9:15 a.m.  Also please bring your drink, towel and sunscreen.  Pack these items in 2 plastic garbage bags with twist ties, one bag over the other.  Then put the bags in your daypack and tie your pack to your float.  This keeps your things dry and prevents them from floating away.  Wear swimsuit and sturdy foot protection.  Old sneakers work well.  Bare feet, flip-flops, slip-ons and thin-soled “beach shoes” are not acceptable! 

        Lunch will be at a convenient stopping place along the river.  Have fun swimming in the pools in the river along the way.  We will walk for about 15-20 minutes through the woods to get from River Road to the start point of our float.  We will provide a shuttle for drivers from the end point back to the start point before we start paddling.  You must be able to swim to participate in this outing!

Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 7 and up able to swim welcome, but parents are responsible for all risks to their children. 

Spring floats and inflatable boats are not permitted on SEO river floats!  A spring float is a flotation device consisting of an inflatable outer oval with a small, few inch diameter cross section and a large mesh interior.  Those spring floats are meant for floating in swimming pools and on lakes in still water, not for floating the Locust Fork River.  They are difficult to steer and therefore unsafe for use on Southeastern Outings river floats.

Please bring a friend or several if you wish.  Please meet at the Wal-Mart Gardendale parking lot no later than 9:15 a.m. ready to depart promptly at 9:30 a.m.  Arriving 15 minutes before departure time will allow time to use the restrooms in the Wal-Mart, purchase a float from Southeastern Outings if you want to buy one, hear announcements concerning the day’s event, and form carpools from the Wal-Mart. 

Please note that reservations are NOT requested or required for this event!

Info: Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gmail.com or phone 205/631-4680

 Float Note

Substantial, fabric-covered, inflatable, vinyl, rectangular floats like you use to ride the waves at the Gulf work best.  Trip leader Dan Frederick now has 72-inch-long floats for sale for $23 each ONLY at the start of the river floats.  Please pay either with exact change or a check made out to SEO.  First come, first served.

        Dan will provide hand float pumps to pump up your float or tube at the start point of the river float.

 

Note for Kayak and Canoe Trips

The kayak and canoe outings listed in the announcements above are suitable for beginner/novice canoeists and kayakers, but each beginner canoeist must paddle with an experienced canoeist.  Life jackets or personal flotation devices are required and must be worn.  Bring your own boat, borrow one, paddle with a friend, or rent a kayak from the outfitter(s) listed.

Please bring in the boat your picnic lunch, something to drink, and a towel. Put your belongings in a waterproof dry bag in the boat.  Wear old, thick-soled shoes you don’t mind getting wet (old sneakers work well).  Also bring at least 6 feet of sturdy cord to tie up your boat if you don’t already have cord attached to your own boat.  If you have further questions, please call the trip leader.